f2fs

F2FS (Flash-Friendly File System) is a Linux filesystem designed by Samsung for NAND flash memory devices such as eMMC, UFS, and SSDs. It aims to deliver high performance and long device life by optimizing for flash characteristics and reducing write amplification. F2FS was created to improve Linux storage on mobile and embedded systems and was merged into the mainline kernel in the early 2010s.

F2FS uses a log-structured design that writes data in fixed-size segments and performs garbage collection to reclaim invalid blocks. It separates hot and cold data, uses inodes and a set of structured metadata, and relies on a checkpointing mechanism to enable fast recovery after power loss. It includes wear leveling and alignment with erase block sizes, and supports TRIM to inform the device of freed blocks.

F2FS provides mkfs.f2fs and fsck.f2fs tooling and supports standard POSIX files, directories, and links. It is included in the Linux kernel and is widely used on Android devices and other flash-based systems; with modern kernels, it can be used on desktop and server installations where flash performance matters.

Compared with mature filesystems such as ext4, F2FS is newer and may have less mature tooling for rare edge cases. For workloads that do not stress flash, benefits may be limited, and compatibility with backup or snapshot tools should be tested for specific deployments.